Wisdom v. foolishness

I have a lifelong fascination with the difference between a life lived wisely and one lived foolishly.

Am I a wise man or a foolish one?  Socrates said  the “unexamined life is not worth living.”  To go through life and not thoroughly examine this question would be tragic.

Jesus talked about the wise and foolish man:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

Jesus was clear on whom He considers wise or foolish.  The wise hear His words and obeys them; the foolish hear but fail to obey.   The difference cannot be overstated.

At one time in America, most children attended Sunday school.  They at least heard the words of Jesus; whether or not they obeyed them was a different story.  Contrast this with post-Christian America where few young people attend church at all, don’t go to Sunday school, so never have a chance to even hear the words of Jesus…much less obey them.

Is it any wonder, then, that we find ourselves surrounded by so many foolish people?

I plan on often returning to this theme in my blogs.  Being a wise man has been a major goal throughout my life, but I’m not sure I have done so well in this critical area.

How about you?

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